Starting this week, 12- to 15-year-olds are eligible for the Pfizer #COVID19 vaccine. This is a big moment. As a parent, I know we all want to make the right decisions for the health of our kids. So for parents considering the vaccine for their kids, here are a few thoughts. /1
Does it work? 2,000+ young people participated in the clinical trial — half with a placebo, half with the vaccine. There were 16 symptomatic COVID-19 infections in the placebo group and 0 in the vaccine group — demonstrating the vaccine is highly effective. /2
Were there side effects? The side effects were mild — fatigue, body aches, headaches, and low-grade fevers. They lasted for a couple days and went away. What adolescents were left with was protection against COVID-19. /3
There's more: millions of 16- and 17-year-olds — and many millions more adults — have already received a dose of the Pfizer vaccine over the last few months. The data from their experience continues to demonstrate the vaccine is highly effective and its safety profile strong. /4
There's one important risk to consider: the risk of NOT getting vaccinated against #COVID19. /5
While your kids have a low risk of severe illness with #COVID19, more than 13,000 adolescents in the U.S. were hospitalized after being infected. And even for those with milder cases, a small number have experienced longer-term fatigue, shortness of breath, or other symptoms. /6
Children also play a role in transmitting COVID19 to others, including those at higher risk of severe illness with COVID like the elderly and those with medical conditions. By getting vaccinated, adolescents can break the chain of transmission and protect those at higher risk. /7
Finally, if your child has spent a birthday apart from friends, missed out on summer camp, or gone months without practicing sports alongside teammates & coaches because of #COVID19 — this vaccine is an opportunity for them to return to the activities & people they love. /8
This is a chance to get back to school plays & soccer games. Sleepovers & birthday parties. Afternoons hanging out at the mall & eating at a restaurant with friends. They’ll be able to develop a growing sense of independence, community, & joy. That’s the power of vaccination. /9
So don’t miss out on this chance to protect your kids and restore the lives they've been missing. Text your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) or 822862 (VACUNA), or go to vaccines.gov to find vaccines near you. /10
If you have more questions, I encourage you to talk to your primary care provider and visit cdc.gov to learn more. Your questions deserve to be answered. /end

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More from @Surgeon_General

23 Apr
Thank you, @alastanford, for joining me earlier this week in conversation with the COVID-19 Community Corps.

Hearing about the work you & the #BlackDoctorsCOVID19Consortium have been doing to vaccinate thousands of people in Philadelphia was inspiring.

/Thread
You told us the motto for your community outreach is, “We’re calling to check on you.”

America needs more healers like you & your colleagues. /2
We are building a people-powered movement to help inform, empower, & vaccinate people.

Dr. Stanford did not wait for people to ask her. She stepped up & built an extraordinary apparatus. /3
Read 5 tweets
22 Apr
In a new national study of pregnant people who received the Pfizer or Moderna #COVID19 vaccines, @CDCgov found no evidence of safety concerns for pregnant people vaccinated in the 3rd trimester or for their babies. While follow up data is needed, these findings are reassuring. /1
These results matter since pregnant people with #COVID19 have a higher risk of poor health outcomes. CDC will continue to follow data for those vaccinated during the 1st & 2nd trimesters of pregnancy, but growing evidence of vaccine safety during pregnancy is comforting. /2
While many pregnant people have chosen to get vaccinated, getting a #COVID19 vaccine during pregnancy is ultimately a personal choice. Talking to a healthcare provider may help your decision on when to get vaccinated. /3
Read 4 tweets
18 Apr
It is heartbreaking to see that more than 87,000 of our neighbors, friends, and family members died of a drug overdose over the past year - the highest number of yearly drug overdose deaths in recent memory.
The Administration has provided nearly $3 billion to states & territories to address mental illness & addiction crisis. And the American Rescue Plan included around $3.56 billion for prevention & treatment of mental health and substance use disorders.
We must continue to implement evidence-based policies and programs to end the epidemic.
Read 4 tweets
17 Apr
Everyone is eligible for COVID-19 services, no matter their immigration status. Testing, treatment or vaccinations paid for by the federal government will not affect anyone’s immigration status or be shared with immigration agencies.
You can't be billed for COVID-19 vaccinations. If you receive a bill, you should first speak to the person or facility that sent it. If they don’t cancel it, contact the HHS Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or visit TIPS.HHS.GOV to file a complaint
You do not need a Social Security Number or government ID to receive free COVID-19 services. A facility may ask for this info to help confirm you are uninsured but you will still be treated, tested, or vaccinated even if you can’t provide these items.
Read 4 tweets
22 Nov 20
(1/4) This #SundaySpotlight, I want to highlight a new @CDCgov MMWR report that finds a series of social gatherings likely contributed to the rapid spread of #COVID19 in a rural Amish community in Ohio.
(2/4) #COVID19 outbreaks in communities where social gatherings are common might be prevented by:
-Creating strong collaborations
-Distributing culturally appropriate health messages
- Ensuring timely access to testing.
bit.ly/6945a2
(3/4) That is why it is so important that we continue to double down on the public health measures like
• Wearing a 😷
• Washing your ✋
• Watching your ↔️
Read 4 tweets
16 Nov 20
Hard truths: 49/50 states with increasing cases, 34 in red or orange zones (ie significant rise).

Record cases over the past week will be record hospitalizations soon.

Our/ YOUR communities and hospitals simply can not sustain high level care at this rate of increase.
We MUST change the rate of rise of cases to alter our rapid rise in hospitalizations & preserve hospital capacity – and we can.

Europe has demonstrated the Fall surge CAN be contained and hospital capacity maintained if we all do our part.

If we don’t, more people will die.
PLEASE wear a mask at all times when outside your immediate household, practice good hand hygiene, & it’s critical we limit social interactions to our immediate household for the next several weeks. Otherwise hospitals won’t be able to provide care for #COVID19- or anything else.
Read 5 tweets

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